Recent Rescue Starter Guide - Herding Dog Edition

Congratulations on your new family member! Bringing home a rescue dog is all about getting to know each other. It takes 3 days for them to get their bearings, 3 weeks for them to feel like they can open up, and 3 months to fully feel at home. The next 3 months are what I like to call the discovery phase. Your dog now knows they’re there to stay, and will feel comfortable to show all of their true feelings. Expect the next 6 months to feel like things come in waves.

A lot of owners can’t believe how calm their new herding dog is being! This phase lasts about 3 days as your dog’s nervous system regulates, they recover from being in an extremely stimulating environment by sleeping a ton, and they feel out the vibe of this new space. About a month in the honeymoon phase starts to fade. Your dog feels pretty comfortable and because they’ve been “so good” they’ve had a lot of freedom. Now they’re testing boundaries and our patience. If you let things go they pick up bad habits, but more importantly they learn that they can do anything they want or need at least once. With a herding breed you run the risk of them using their mouth to control whatever is going on around them. This can end poorly for: families with children (“He’s nipping the kids when they run and play.”), with small animals (“He killed a chicken.”), or in busy environments (“He’s chasing cars and barking a neighborhood dogs.”).

Healthy rules and boundaries don’t mean we don’t give our dogs grace and empathy as they move through what can be a difficult time for them. Its crucial that you allow your new best pal to feel safe and respected during the “get to know you” phase. Your dog will need consistency so decide what you’re okay with, and what you’re not, then stick with it. Use a leash around the house, so you can offer gentle guidance as they explore. Have a crate set up for them, so they have somewhere they can go to feel safe when the house gets overwhelming. Start encouraging the habits you want to see your dog have by rewarding things you like, and redirecting things you don’t like to a better option. These small, easy to incorporate, rules will help prevent or correct more behaviors. Remember, too much freedom is your worst enemy right now.

IMPORTANT BASICS YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW:

1. Your new rescue dog should eat all their meals in their crate with the door closed. Stress can trigger resource guarding in dogs who may not otherwise present the behavior. Until your dog knows you’re safe and feels totally relaxed in your home, they should be fed in their crate. Think of it as saving them from themselves.

2. Your dog should sleep in their crate overnight. Startled dogs behave erratically. We never want an accident to happen with our dog sleeping in bed with us. We also don’t know exactly how trustworthy they are in regards to eating weird things when left to their own devices. Crates save lives!

3. Your dog should be crated when left alone… see point two. Safety is our number one priority, and dogs do weird stuff sometimes.

4. Dog parks are a terrible idea! Even if I trust my dog implicitly, I cannot know and trust every dog who shows up to “play” with us. Dog parks can exacerbate arousal associated with dogs in general making dog reactivity more likely on walks and behind barriers. Trust me, these guys have had more than enough dogs around to play with and they’re craving time with you.

5. Avoid on leash meet and greets until you know what your dog’s preferences are around people and other dogs. We’re focused on building a relationship with each other, not necessarily meet the whole world. A lot of dogs feel socially awkward on leash which can cause them to act out of normal character.

As your dog gets settled in and you’re ready to start trying things together, focus on activities that will encourage a strong bond like games and easy training activities. Walks can seem like a fun way to see what your dog thinks about the world, but I typically avoid generic walks in the neighborhood to start. You can run into situations you and your dog aren’t ready for which can be hard on you both. I’d rather practice name recognition on a long line at a quiet on leash park and at home. Reward your dog every time they check in by looking at you, so they think they can trick you into giving them snacks. Become easy to manipulate through good behavior so your dog is too busy to get into trouble.

Slowly introduce your dog to new environments as they learn how to engage with you so you can help them focus when they get excited or scared. Its far easier to fall back on play that affection when our dog is having a hard time. Your new herding dog will be easy to train! Have a ton of fun teaching them a hundred new skills. Remember that they also tend to have big feelings, so reach out for training help if you feel overwhelmed by their expression. Dogs adopted through Herding Dog Rescue of Central Oregon receive a discount on training with Holistic K9 Connection!

What are conflicting drives and why does it matter? Most likely you won’t be adopting a purebred dog which comes with tons of benefits! Mixed breeds are generally healthier and can bring wonderful traits from each individually. Ironically, sassy breeds tend to bring out the best in each other pretty often. The other side of the coin is when two drastically different breed types end up mixed together, you can see some confusion and anxiety. A less social breed, like an Australian Shepherd, mixed with a small social breed, like a mini poodle, can struggle with social anxiety and reactivity. This is why we love a DNA test! If you’re able to have a DNA test done, it can be really helpful with training and learning to interpret your new friend.